


Broken Angel

by Naemi



Category: Major Crimes (TV)
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Past Canonical Child Abuse (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-17 22:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9349472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naemi/pseuds/Naemi
Summary: His gaze wanders further through the room to scan all the angels they set out.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Prisca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prisca/gifts).



 

Outside, Los Angeles sparkles and vibrates with a nervous energy, but here in the Raydor-Beck living room, the city lights are reduced to shadows that fail to calm Rusty's pounding heart.

A nightmare just woke him, as they do so often, and he can't find any more rest. He turns away from the window and to the Christmas tree that he and Sharon decorated this afternoon.

His gaze wanders further through the room to scan all the angels they set out. If nothing else, the figurines of all shapes and sizes are intriguingly beautiful, so much so that Rusty finds himself tracing some of their outlines with his fingers. He feels strangely connected: Each of them has come here for a reason, and so has he.

As Rusty thumbs the wings of a porcelain angel on the tree, the delicate ornament slips off its branch. Before he can react, it crashes to the ground and shatters to a million pieces.

Rusty's heart skips a beat.

Suddenly, he's thirteen again and in the mall with a huge tree so laden with lights and ornaments that he’s never seen anything like it. The decorations weighed so heavy that the branches hung low under the burden. And just like he couldn't stop himself from touching the angel a mere minute ago, he couldn't stop himself from touching a gigantic, gold and red striped Christmas tree ball back then: The lights being reflected back were so pretty, and it spoke to him in a way Rusty could never explain.

In that moment, he heard Gary's angry voice, directed at his mother (“You're so useless, I can't even—”). It startled him so much that Rusty withdrew his hand quickly. His sleeve must have caught on the tree, or something like that, because Rusty heard ornaments crash and shatter behind him even before he had turned around fully. He knew he was in serious trouble without the need to look at the mess he made: Gary's expression said enough.

Even now, Rusty can feel Gary's calloused hands beating him and how his eye swelled, his ribs cracked. It wasn't the first Christmas he spent in the emergency room, and by God, it wasn't his last, either.

_Those_ memories follow suit. They manifest as a lump of shame in his throat that he can't seem to swallow.

“You're up late. Can't sleep?”

Sharon's voice, albeit soft as always, makes Rusty jump.

Wide-eyed, he stares at her as he searches for words. “And you?” he wants to say, or, “I'm fine,” but out comes a rushed: “I'm so, so sorry, Sharon. I … I didn't mean to … I'm so sorry.”

Sharon gazes past him and to the shards capturing the sparse light.

“I'm in the mood for some hot chocolate. How about you?” Without waiting for his reply, she walks to the kitchenette and takes two mugs out of the cupboard.

“I'll pay for it. Really, I don't know how this happened, but … I'll get you a new one just like this. I promise.”

Sharon's shoulders move as if she's sighing. She turns back around and displays an almost sad smile. Rusty can't say if it's because of the angel or because of him, but either thought makes him feel even worse. He presses his lips into a thin line and hangs his head.

“It's fine,” Sharon says softly. “You're fine. Or … Are you?”

Rusty shrugs; the gesture is more helpless than dismissive. “Not … Not really.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” He shakes his head quickly then looks back up. “But that hot chocolate sure sounds good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Rusty—Christmas brings back bad memories.
> 
> Beta'd by the wonderful **unilocular** , who also made sure all characters were returned unharmed.
> 
> [Visit my LJ-community [Bunny Bash](http://bunnybash.livejournal.com) to leave me a prompt at any time.]
> 
> [Feedback is love.]


End file.
